THE OTHER SIDE

CHAPTER 8

~STEVEN'S POV~

"The Dark-Hound Pack has already signed the agreement and is already under my control. I'll have them help spread the message to all the other packs," I said, scribbling my signature onto a letter I was going to send to Montgomery's mansion.

"But why don't we spread the message ourselves?" Gregory asked, looking a little troubled.

"The message will be from an unknown sender, proposing the deal to the alphas and asking those who agree to meet at an undisclosed location. The alphas who refuse to comply might get violent and want to attack the only pack they think the message is coming from. If they lay siege on the dark-fang pack, I can use the opportunity to assess them and know exactly what I'm up against," I replied with a cold stare.

"But… sire. Innocent lives will be lost; the dark-hound pack will be destroyed if they are attacked by more than one opposing pack at the same time," Gregory argued.

I let out a sigh, got up from where I sat, and walked toward a window in the dimly lit room we were in. "This is a game of war, Gregory. We are not bothered by what side is good or evil; we are not bothered about the means we employ to win; the only thing that matters is who comes out on top."

"I never said you were evil," Gregory said softly, turning to the ground.

I remained silent for a moment, then said, "No, no, you didn't." I turned back to him and continued, "Get this message to the Dark-Hound pack; we shouldn't waste any more time than we already have."

"Yes, sire…" Gregory replied and quietly exited the room.

I turned away from the door after Gregory had shut it. I let out a sigh, staring through the window at the large fence that surrounded the mansion. This fence marked the end of the mansion and the beginning of the most treacherous part of my pack.

Those images suddenly came to mind again. Flashes of a blurry face and a female voice I couldn't recognize. I clenched my teeth tightly and gently pressed both my palms against both sides of my head as a headache slowly came up.

After a while, I left the room and headed for the gates, wearing a large, black jacket with a hood that covered my head.

As I walked through the gardens surrounding the mansion, I stumbled upon someone. She was holding a tray, and her hair seemed a little messy.

She stood there staring at me like we had met before, and after a few seconds, she snapped out of her mental stillness, saying, "My lord, good morning." I stared at her for a moment, then realized she was the girl Gregory had brought in recently, Gabriella.

Her presence made me feel uneasy. I hadn't met her anywhere before, but somehow she seemed familiar. Her scent, her eyes, and the way she spoke somehow weren't new to me. I stared at her a little longer, then walked past her without saying a word in return.

I could feel her intense glare as I walked away. I wondered what was going through her mind as she stared.

After a few minutes of walking, I finally arrived in front of the gate. I had never left the mansion before because I was warned never to. Father and mother always told me there was something out there, something dangerous, something I could never face, no matter how powerful I was.

And it wasn't a lie.

Before my father died, I had an undying urge to see what was beyond the mansion—the so-called danger my parents always protected me from. But every time I got in front of the gate, an ominous and intense presence filled my entire body with fear.

It was like something evil surrounded the mansion. Each time I peeped through the gap between the two metal doors, there was always someone standing there, a female with a smile on her face. She always had a large hat on, so her eyes were covered, and she was surrounded completely by nothing but darkness.

The worst part was that only my parents and I could see her; everyone else freely went in and out of the mansion, but we could never.

I peeked through the gap again, and there she was, smiling so innocently but with the aura of a demon surrounding her.

I gulped in some saliva and gently pushed the gates open. I walked out of the mansion and into the outside world.

~~~o~~~

"Welcome back, Alpha Steven. You successfully faced your fears again," the little girl said. She had bright green eyes and dark brown hair. She was only half my height, and her hat looked like that of a witch.

Faced my fears again? Alpha? What was she talking about?

"Whoa, I feel so exhausted. I slept for quite a long time, didn't I?" I asked with a smile, stretching my limbs.

"Just three days. Nothing unusual," she replied as she walked to my side. Her name was Margret, and she was only 10 years old.

"So, where are we heading today?" I asked.

And she replied with a short giggle, "Anywhere you want Alpha Steven,"

"You always call me Alpha Steven. Why? And why do I always wake up at the gates of the alpha's mansion? You'll get me in trouble with the alpha of the pack!" I queried as I picked the little girl up and placed her on my shoulder.

"You'll understand one day, Steven. For now, let's go have some fun!" The little girl replied with another giggle.

"How about the girl I met at Montgomery's mansion? I hope she didn't get in trouble because of me," I said as a worried expression grew on my face.

"Don't worry, she's alright; in fact, she's really far away from Montgomery's mansion and has new friends to keep her company now. So, she's okay," Margret replied.

"I wish I'd get to see her again, though. She seemed really nice," I said.

She giggled again, then said, "Sure, you will, sooner than you expect."